DAS Protects 26 acres in Wayne County

In December 2009, the Detroit Audubon Society protected a 26-acre
property in Van Buren Township, near the intersection of Belleville
Road and I-94 in western Wayne County.  Detroit Audubon received a conservation easement which permanently restricts subdivision or
development of the property.  The title to the property was given to
the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, which has partnered with DAS on three other land preservation projects.

The property was important to protect since it is largely forested
wetlands and provides a needed stopover site for the many songbirds
that migrate through the area.  The good quality native forest
consists of a variety of trees including Silver Maple, Swamp White
Oak, Northern Red Oak, Sycamore, Basswood and American Elm.  These trees support a host of insect species which, in turn, provide
critical “fuel” to many Neotropical migrants such as warblers,
tanagers, thrushes, grosbeaks, vireos, cuckoos and orioles.  The
forest also seems to have good potential habitat for nesting Eastern
Screech Owls, Great-horned Owls, Red-tailed Hawks, and Cooper’s Hawks.

A small tributary of the Huron River flows through the site and the
Huron River Watershed Council identified the property as a key site to protect through their Bioreserve Project, which identifies and ranks the remaining natural areas within the watershed.  The Detroit Audubon Society is pleased to have played a key role in protecting this small forest in western Wayne County.  We hope that you will be able to visit the site in the years to come.